Written Answers

Thursday 16 November 2000

Scottish Executive

Asbestos

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to assist companies and organisations in the private and public sector and householders to eradicate asbestos in buildings.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The recommendation of the Health and Safety Commission, based on current medical advice, is not to remove asbestos that is in good condition. Slightly worn material should be sealed or enclosed intact. Only badly worn, damaged or very fibrous materials are recommended for removal. In such instances, the Health & Safety Executive enforces the regulatory controls on the process and publishes a wide range of guidance for clients, contractors and operatives.

Central Heating

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider providing a fast track procedure in the free central heating programme for pensioners who have been diagnosed with terminal illness.

Jackie Baillie: A working group has been set up to advise the Executive on the rules for the new scheme. It is considering the question of priority need and the circumstances you describe will be taken into account in the deliberations.

Drug Misuse

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when details of the additional funds to tackle Scotland’s drug problems will be announced.

Iain Gray: As stated by my predecessor, Angus MacKay, when announcing the additional funding of £100 million at the International Drugs Conference on 29 September, a statement will be made in January detailing how the new resources are to be allocated. The statement will take into account responses to the consultation exercise which is currently in process.

Drug Misuse

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider a pilot programme for drug courts in North East Scotland.

Iain Gray: Decisions on the piloting of drug courts will be made within the next few months. I have meantime noted the member’s interest in a pilot in North East Scotland.

Education

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to meet its target of providing every school pupil with internet access and a personal e-mail address.

Nicol Stephen: We expect that by 2002 all schools will be connected to the internet and that e-mail will be available to all pupils.

Education

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reviewed the status of the merger between the Scottish Council for Educational Technology and the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum.

Mr Jack McConnell: Learning and Teaching Scotland was formed on 1 July. Professor Tom Wilson has been appointed as Chair and Mike Baughan as Chief Executive along with a further eight board members. Appointments to the Advisory Council will be announced shortly. Officials are keeping me informed of organisational progress made since the merger.

Education

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage more young people to study science and technology subjects.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive is preparing a Science Strategy which will cover science education. We have also revised guidelines on Science and Technology within the 5-14 programme and made a wider range of technology courses available through the Higher Still programme.

Education

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs will consider visiting Bell Baxter High School in Cupar, Fife.

Mr Jack McConnell: I am presently considering a programme of school visits and will take Bell Baxter High School into account in that process.

Employment

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns about the security of employment of the 1,000 Burton’s Biscuits employees in Edinburgh following the sale this week to the venture capital firm Hicks, Muse, Tate and Furst, the same investment firm that financially backed Viasystems.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive always takes an interest in any take-over which may have employment consequences in Scotland. The new owners of Burton’s Biscuits have stated that they intend to rationalise production across various sites, following merger with another biscuit company. We shall therefore monitor developments closely.

Enterprise

Elaine Thomson (Aberdeen North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive in what ways it is listening to the concerns of the business community.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Executive will continue to listen closely to the concerns of the business community, which it recognises as key to Scotland’s economic success. Following my meetings last week with key leaders of Scotland’s business community, I announced that the Executive would focus its support on providing the skills base and physical infrastructure that business needs, with particular emphasis on digital communications.

Enterprise

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to find an operator or owner for the oil fabrication yard at Arnish, Isle of Lewis.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: Efforts are continuing to find an operator for the yard at Arnish. These involve the Stornoway Trust, the local authority, the Local Enterprise Company, HIE, and the Scotland Office as well as the Scottish Executive.

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty’s Government regarding the potential impact on Scotland’s environment of any plans to make mixed oxide fuel for overseas customers at Sellafield.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including environmental issues relating to Sellafield.

Equality Strategy

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how its Equality Strategy will assist its drive for social justice.

Jackie Baillie: The Equality Strategy sets out how the Executive will tackle the barriers of prejudice and discrimination and address structural inequalities between groups. These principles underpin our drive for social justice.

Finance

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s pre-budget statement will be in Scotland.

Angus MacKay: The Chancellor’s cash freeze on all road fuel and oil duties and a carefully targeted package of measures for road transport equivalents worth a 4p real terms cut in duty for motorists and 8p for hauliers will help all road users in Scotland and especially those in rural areas where car usage is essential.

  In addition, all 840,000 pensioners in Scotland will benefit from an above inflation increase in the basic state pension. In addition, increases in the Minimum Income Guarantee will tackle pensioner poverty. Wider measures will promote social inclusion through fiscal measures to regenerate Scotland’s urban areas, increasing employment opportunities, supporting families and tackling child poverty. A major new VAT package will ease the burden on many of Scotland’s 230,000 small to medium-sized enterprises.

  Scotland has also received a Barnett share of £17.7 million of additional monies for the New Deal for Schools and e-learning for this year.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to allow patients to return unused and unopened medicines prior to the expiry date and to have prescription charges refunded.

Susan Deacon: Patients can take any unused medicines to their local pharmacy for safe disposal. We have no plans to refund prescription charges collected on returned medicines.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to allow Tobramycin to be prescribed for the treatment of cystic fibrosis and what guidelines will be issued to health boards regarding this medicine.

Susan Deacon: Tobramycin is available on the NHS in Scotland and its use as a treatment for cystic fibrosis depends on the clinical judgment of the clinician concerned. It is for each health board to determine its prescribing policy on drugs, including Tobramycin, taking into account advice from local drug and therapeutic committees.

Homelessness

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the future funding of current Rough Sleeper Initiative projects.

Jackie Baillie: Rough Sleeper Initiative projects are currently funded through to March 2002. An announcement on funding after that date will be made after Christmas.

NHS Funding

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the level of health spending in Scotland is rising less rapidly than in England.

Susan Deacon: We get the same £ for £ increase per head of population as England. The Executive’s full spending plans are outlined in Investing in You .

Nursery Education

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the training given to nursery nurses.

Nicol Stephen: In January of this year we published Working with Children: A Guide to Qualifications and Careers in Early Education, Childcare and Playwork. The follow-up Action Plan, published in July, describes how we want to work with other bodies to expand the workforce, widen training opportunities and enhance the quality of training. A key element will be the training provided to nursery nurses and this is an issue Ministers will discuss further with the Pre-School and Childcare Advisory Forum.

Oil and Gas Industry

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was invited to contribute to the decision-making process which set the criteria to be used for the 19th round of licensing for exploration for oil and gas in the North Sea; if so, what advice and guidance it gave and, if not, what representations it has made to the Department of Trade and Industry on its involvement in such matters.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with DTI on a wide range of issues relating to petroleum exploration and development on the UKCS. These matters are covered by the Concordat between the Executive and DTI.

Planning

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what weight is given to the recommendations of planning inquiries when making planning decisions and what costs were incurred by the Executive with regard to the recent Ayr United stadium and retail project applications.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Full and careful consideration is given to the Reporter’s recommendation in every case. The cost of processing these particular applications is estimated to be £39,000.

Police

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to reconsider or review the Police (Scotland) Act 1967.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-02491 on 9 November 2000.

Post Offices

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consequential funding it has received as a result of the extra allocations from Her Majesty’s Treasury for post offices in rural areas and how those funds are to be applied.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Policy on post offices in rural areas is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Executive did not receive a funding consequential for this.

Public Appointments

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many disabled people have been appointed to public bodies since March 2000.

Angus Mackay: The appointments system relies on each individual to disclose whether or not they have a disability. On this basis between 1 April and 30 September 2000, one disabled person was appointed. Appointment statistics are collected on a six-monthly basis.

Social Inclusion

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support local partnerships which will tackle social exclusion.

Ms Margaret Curran: We are providing £150 million to fund 48 Social Inclusion Partnerships over the next three years. Over £1 million is being invested in "Working Together, Learning Together" a training programme to improve partnership working and support community involvement in partnerships. In addition, a £90 million Better Neighbourhoods Fund will be launched to improve delivery of services in our most deprived neighbourhoods.

Social Inclusion

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to empower communities.

Jackie Baillie: We provided an overview of our empowering communities agenda in the Social Justice Action Note published in June (copies available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, Bib no. 6978). We are further developing this agenda through practical action to support those from Social Inclusion Partnerships and Working for Communities Pathfinders involved in regenerating disadvantaged areas. This will include: work to achieve greater clarity and awareness of roles and responsibilities of those within the partnerships; ensuring adequate support to enable those from the community to be equal partners; ensuring training opportunities, such as our national skills programme Working Together Learning Together, are explored and prioritised, and facilitating the sharing of good practice, for example through promoting networking arrangements.

  Looking beyond these practical actions to support those working in our communities, we intend to explore much wider-ranging opportunities that will enable local people to directly influence decisions which affect their neighbourhoods.

Student Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the difference would be to the cost of collecting the graduate endowment, as currently proposed by it, if the income threshold was raised from £10,000 to (a) £19,000 and (b) £25,000.

Nicol Stephen: To keep collection costs to a minimum, the Scottish Executive has chosen to use the existing income contingent loan system, which operates on a UK basis, to collect the Graduate Endowment. As a consequence there is no flexibility for the Scottish Executive to raise the income threshold.

Telecommunications

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many notifications have been made by mobile telephone companies of the exercise of their right under existing planning legislation to erect transmission masts on public land adjacent to roads and footpaths in East Lothian since the Executive announced its intention, in August 2000, to amend such legislation, and whether it will apply any such amendments retrospectively in order to address this position.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Such specific information is not held centrally. There are no plans to make the proposed changes to planning legislation in this regard apply retrospectively.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tourists visit Scotland for golfing holidays annually (a) in total; (b) broken down by the country which such visitors are from, and (c) broken down by the mode of travel used to travel to Scotland.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: It is estimated that 200,000 tourists visit Scotland for golfing holidays annually. Information on the country of origin of such visitors, and on the mode of transport they use to travel to Scotland, is not available.